Search - Scarlatti, Cuiller :: Essercizi for Harpsichord (Dig)

Born in the same year as Handel and Bach, Neapolitan harpsichordist Domenico Scarlatti was a virtuoso with a very particular style. In Madrid, he became "Domingo Escarlatti" and lived as a music teacher to Queen Maria-Barbara. He wrote almost 555 sonatas, in which he created an explosion of wide-ranging sounds from Italy and Spain. As he was able to utilize the technical possibilities of the harpsichord to the fullest, he produced the mournful notes of the hunting horns as well as the passionate chords played on a flamenco guitar. This program also presents the "Fandango" of his disciple, Padre Antonio Soler, a sort of virtuoso dance on an ostinato. The harpsichord played on this disc is an Italian model, conceived by Philippe Humeau, with a warm sound that is ideal for this repertoire.